Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Acetate Causes Alcohol Hangover Headache In Rats., Christina R Maxwell, Rebecca Jay Spangenberg, Jan B Hoek, Stephen D Silberstein, Michael L Oshinsky

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of veisalgia cephalgia or hangover headache is unknown. Despite a lack of mechanistic studies, there are a number of theories positing congeners, dehydration, or the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde as causes of hangover headache.

METHODS: We used a chronic headache model to examine how pure ethanol produces increased sensitivity for nociceptive behaviors in normally hydrated rats.

RESULTS: Ethanol initially decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimuli on the face (analgesia), followed 4 to 6 hours later by inflammatory pain. Inhibiting alcohol dehydrogenase extended the analgesia whereas inhibiting aldehyde dehydrogenase decreased analgesia. Neither treatment had nociceptive effects. Direct administration of acetate …

Cardioprotection By Regular Ethanol Consumption: Potential Mechanisms And Clinical Application., Masami Miyamae, Kazuhiro Kaneda, Naochika Domae, Vincent M. Figueredo, M.D.

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Epidemiological studies demonstrate that excessive drinking is associated with hypertension, cerebral bleeding and loss of cardiac contractility. Conversely, studies have shown that mortality rates for people who regularly drink ethanol in moderation are lower than in abstainers, primarily due to decreased fatal ischemic heart disease. Further, moderate ethanol consumers have lower rates of myocardial infarction compared with abstainers. These beneficial cardiac effects may be due to pleiotropic effects of ethanol on lipids, platelets, and fibrinolytic activity. During the past decade, studies conducted in several animal models have revealed that light to moderate regular ethanol consumption renders hearts more tolerant to …